114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 10,1887. 
Annual Report for 1886. 
The usual accounts and balance sheet are submitted to the Fellows. 
The Council have been for a long time anxiously considering the arrange- 
m°nts which have now to be entered into, in order to enable the Society to 
carry on the useful work on which it has been engaged during nearly the 
whole of the present century. While they cannot conceal from themselves 
that the Society’s connection with the recent Exhibitions, and indeed with 
South Kensington generally, has been gravely disadvantageous to it in the 
prosecution of its legitimate work—the promotion of scientific and practical 
horticulture—it is obvious that the Society could not establish itself in a 
new home adequate to its requirements without undertaking a very serious 
expenditure, for which funds would have to be provided. The Council have 
therefore entered into preliminary negotiations with the Royal Albert 
Hall Corporation, and they are prepared to recommend to the Fellows that 
they should be empowered to enter into an agreement with that body on the 
following terms—terms which the Council believe will leave the Society prac¬ 
tically independent, while providing sufficient accommodation for its wants. 
The Royal Albert Hall Corporation agree to give the Royal Horticultural 
Society :— 
(a) The UBe of the Conservatory for fortnightly and other shows. 
( b ) Accommodation for the LindDy Library and the meetings of the 
Scientific, Fruit, Floral, and other Committees. 
(c) Accommodation for the Society’s office and staff. 
( d ) Admission to the Royal Horticultural Gardens every day, and to 
the Royal Albert Hall (unreserved seats) whenever open to the 
public. 
The Royal Horticultural Society undertake the horticultural (but not 
the structural) maintenance of the Conservatory, and of such limited 
portions of the Gardens as may be occupied by the Royal Albert Hall 
Corporation, and to contribute an amount to be agreed upon towards the 
heating of the Conservatory. It is distinctly understood that the Royal 
Horticultural Society will enter into any agreement it may make as an 
independent body, and that the Society will have no connection whatever 
with the musical or other entertainments contemplated by the Royal Albert 
Hall Corporation. The latter body have intimated that at present they are 
not prepared to give the Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society trans¬ 
ferable tickets. 
It will be observed that there is a considerable deficit on account of the 
Provincial Show held at Liverpool in the summer, the small attendance at 
which was due, in part, to the General Election which took place at the 
same time. It was also found that the counter attraction of the Liverpool 
International Shipping Exhibition affected the attendance very prejudicially 
—many people labouring under the impression that the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Show formed part of that Exhibition. In point of merit the 
Society’s Show surpassed any of those previously held in the provinces. 
Many of the collections were models of successful cultivation, and finer 
Orchids, Crotons, Dracaenas, miscellaneous stove, greenhouse, and hardy 
plants have rarely, if ever, been seen. The cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables 
were remarkably good, and the exhibition of glass structures and heating 
apparatus attracted great interest, especially in the boiler competition. 
The Royal Horticultural Society desires to acknowledge its obligation to 
the large and enthusiastic body of exhibitors who filled every class at this 
Exhibition. 
The Council cannot pass from this subject without expressing their sense 
of the readiness and promptitude with which the sum guaranteed by Liver¬ 
pool towards the expenses of the Show has been paid. 
At the commencement of the year the Society laboured under the great 
disadvantage of being deprived by the Royal Commissioners of the Col nial 
and Indian Exhibition of the transferable, tickets issued to the Fellows,in con¬ 
sequence of which many notices of resignation were received by the Council. 
The Narcissus Committee, in continuation of its previous work, held 
during the past year three meetings, at which a large number of very 
interesting specimens of Naroissi, from various parts of the United Kingdom 
and from abroad, were submitted for critical examination. Several 
interesting discussions took place, and some progress was made in the diffi¬ 
cult task of Narcissus nomenclature. 
The Primula Exhibition and Conference held in April last, under the 
presidency of J. T. D. Llewelyn, Esq., was organised in connection with the 
exhibition of the National Auricula Society. A representative display of 
41 Florists’ Flowers ” was thus secured, and, in connection with it, a general 
exhibition of species and varieties of the genus Primula. The Council is 
under great obligations to the directors of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and 
other botanic gardens in England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as to 
numerous amateurs and nurserymen, for the means of carrying to a success¬ 
ful issue an exhibition of a unique and most interesting character. The 
Society is also indebted to those botanists on the Continent, in Canada, and 
in India, who, by the transmission of seeds, living plants, illustrations, and 
documents of various kinds, contributed to the success of the Exhibition 
and Conference. 
The Conference itself was well attended, the interest evoked sufficing to 
bring several visitors even from Scotland and Ireland. The papers read 
were at once comprehensive and suggestive, and the discussion upon them 
was particularly instructive. A report of the Exhibition and of the Con¬ 
ference, including the text of the papers, a complete list of species (drawn 
up by Mr. Dewar, of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and revised by Mr. G. C. 
Churchill), and various documents relating to the natural history and mode 
of cultivation of the species of Primula, has been recently published and 
circulated among the Fellows. 
During the week of the provincial show at Liverpool a conference on 
Orchid nomenclature was held. This was attended by M. Charles Joly on 
behalf of France, and by Messrs. Pynaert and Van Volxem on that of 
Belgium. The proceedings have been published in the Journal of the 
Soc-ety and circulated among the Fellows and others interested. 
At the same time a series of prizes for essays on the “Structure and 
Function of Roots,” given by the Gardeners’ Chronicle, were distributed by 
the President, the second prize being gained by one of the Society’s gar¬ 
deners at Chiswick. J 6 
The practical work at Chiswick has been carried out during the past 
year in the tisual manner, and the garden maintained in a state of efficiency. 
The special trials by the various committees, although not so varied as 
in some previous years, have yielded good results. The Fruit Committee 
trials consisted of Potatoes, Peas, Strawberries, and Tomatoes grown at Chis¬ 
wick, in each class several certificates were awarded. 
A collection of the smaller and hardier high-flavoured Grapes, together 
with a number of American varieties, planted in an unheated house two 
years ago, have fruited during the past season, and some interesting notes 
have been obtained. 
The trials of the Floral Committee were also conducted at the Chiswick 
Gardens. Collections of Fuchsias, Ivv-leaved Pelargoniums. Carnations, 
Hollyhocks, and Dahlias were received and grown on in the houses and 
open borders for the inspection and adjudication of the Committee. 
Steps were taken during the early part of the year to carry out at Chis¬ 
wick extensive experiments for the Government in the cultivation of 
Tobacco, seeds being obtained and plants raised of nearly every known 
variety. Owing, however, to the difficulties raised by the Excise authorities 
these had to be abandoned. 
At the request of the Royal Commissioners of the Colonial and Indian 
Exhibition, the Society last year took charge of the plants sent home by 
the various colonies, and prepared them for the Exhibition. This impor¬ 
tant and burdensome work was carried out with complete success. The 
whole of the plants were placed in the Exhibition in perfect heolth, and 
maintained in a vigorous condition during the Exhibition, under the care 
of the Society. This work necessarily occupied a considerable amount of 
r oom, and interfered with the general work of the Chiswick Gardens. 
A correspondence was entered into with the Commissioners of the 
Colonial and Indian Exhibition with a view of organising in connection 
with it special collections of tropical and other economic plants, as well as 
special groups illustrative of the characteristic vegeta ion of the several 
colonies. It was also suggested that an organised effort might be made to 
introdace on a commercial scale tropical and other colonial fruits, little 
known to fruit consumers in England. The Commissions s were unable to 
accept the proposals of the Council, as it was found desirable that the 
separate Executive Commissions should arrange their own exhibitions. As 
regards fruit, however, the Council believe that in consequence of their 
suggestion, energetic efforts were made by the colonies to send their fruits 
to the Exhibition. At many of the Society’s shows they formed a very 
striking feature, and the importation of colonial fruits now bids fair to 
become a permanent commercial enterprise. 
Applications from Fellows for plants, seeds, &c., continue to be received. 
During the past year 825 Fellows have been supplied with 18,280 plants, 
42,000 packets of seeds, and 4500 cuttings of Vines and other fruit trees. 
The Council have come to the conclusion that the present system of seed 
and plant distribution is not satisfactory. Of late years a number of parcels 
of ordinary flower and vegetable seeds, such as are procurable from the 
trade, have been prepared and distributed. The Council hope to arrange 
in future for the distribution of plants and Eeeds of a rarer and more valu¬ 
able character. They are glad to announce that, in addition to those they 
will be able to grow at Chiswick, they have received promises of plants and 
seeds for distribution from Sir Trevor Lawrence, Mr. William Lee, Baron 
Henry Schroder, Frofessor Michael Foster, Mr. S. Courtauld, Royal Gardens, 
Kew (through Mr. W. Thiselton Dyer), Colonel Beddome, Hon. and Rev. 
J. T. Boscawen, Mr. G. F. Wilson, Colonel R. Trevor Clarke, and Major 
Mason. As the quantities of some of the plants available must necessarily 
be limited, sp -cial arrangements will have to be made for their distribution. 
The crops of Grapes and Pears have been of a good average character, 
other fruits rather scarce. It is satisfactory to note that the Fellows now 
exercise their privileges of purchasing, at wholesale prices, the fruits grown 
at the Society’s gardens to a greater extent than heretofore. 
Donations of plants and seeds have been received from—Messrs. 
Barr <fc Son, collection of bulbs, <fcc.; Colonel R. Trevor Clarke, eighteen 
species of rare Croci, <fco. ; Mr. J. A. Gammie, Orchids; Mrs. Lee (Gunners- 
bury), five largj Ohanders ; Royal Botanic Gard ns, Kew, collection of 
Salvias, Palms, and other seeds; Mr. G. Stevens, Chrysanthemums; Duke 
of Marlborough, Phoenix capitata ; Mr. G. Prince, Tea Roses ; Mr. John 
Fraser, Apricots and Peaches; Messrs. Paul & Son, Strawoeiries; Mr. C. 
Turner, Strawberries; Messrs. James Veitch it Sons, Strawberries ; the 
Countess o f Dartrey, seeds, Rhododendron; Botanic Gardens, Biisbane, 
seets, Araucaria; Sir George Macleay, seeds, Palm, die.; Baron Von Miiller, 
F.R.S., seeds, New Holland plants; Dr. Schomburgk, seeds, New Holland 
plants ; Herr Ernst Benary, seeds, flower and vegetable : Messrs. James 
Carter & Co., seeds, flower and vegetable; Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux and 
Co., seeds, flower and vegetable ; Messrs. Daniels Biotheis, Potatoes. To 
these and other donors the thanks of the. Society are due. 
The frost report on the winters 1879-80 and 1880-81, by the Rev. G. 
Henslow, and the report of the Pear Conference, held at Chiswick in O' tober, 
1884, prepared by Mr. Barron in the same style as the Apple Congress Report, 
will shoitly be issued. 
The Scientific, Fruit, and Floral Committees at South Kensington have 
carried on their labours as usual during the year, and to them the thanks of 
the Society are due. A great variety of extremely interesting new plants 
and flowers have been submitted for adjudication. The number of first- 
class certificates awarded has been 230. 
The exhibitions held in the conservatory during the past year have been 
throughout of a very high character, forming a great attraction to the 
visitors to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. The National Rose Society’s 
Show in July, that of Cottagers’ Produce in August, of Grapes in September, 
of Hardy Fruits and Vegetables in October, may be spscially mentioned. 
A varied, extensive, and continuous display of Lilies, Gladioli, herbaceous 
and other hardy plants, was furnished by several nurserymen, and attracte 
much interest. 
A novel featu-e in 1880 was the collection of Orchids in fl wer, shown by 
Mr. Sander of St. Albans, under the auspices of the Society, in a plant 
house specially constructed for the purpose. The plants were continually 
changed, and an effective display was maintained without a break until 
late in the summer. This collection, as wellas those referred to above, created 
great interest, so much so that it was frequently difficult to get near them. 
The Council desire to point out that the fortnightly meetings of the 
Society are becoming more and more the recognised occasions for the in¬ 
troduction of new plants to the public. They believe that for many years 
the finest and most beautiful as well as the most curious, horticultural 
